


Defrosting

by kandrona



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Blizzards & Snowstorms, M/M, Mount Lanakila, Poor Choices of Mountain-Climbing Fashion, Pre-Slash, Unspoken Crushes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-08 19:52:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13465374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kandrona/pseuds/kandrona
Summary: Hau is waylaid by the weather as he climbs Mount Lanakila. So is Gladion.





	Defrosting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EvilMuffins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilMuffins/gifts).



The wind outside the small cave had picked up. Hau held his hands out over the fire that Flareon had started. His other Pokemon remained in their Poke Balls; hanging out with them was the best, but he didn't know how well Raichu, Komala, and Primarina would handle this cold.

"Heh," he chuckled. "Guess I should've bought some warmer clothes, huh? Who knew it got this cold up here?"

In response, Flareon nuzzled his warm body against Hau's freezing torso. He climbed up into his trainer's lap and curled up there, radiating heat.

Hau sighed with relief. "That's a lot better. Thanks, buddy."

A sound came from outside the cave—a sound that stood out starkly from the background howl of the blizzard. Footsteps approaching the cave that Hau had sought refuge in—one set human, one set larger. Some kind of Pokemon.

Hau buried his chilled hands in the ruffle of fur around Flareon's neck—eliciting a complaining trill—and turned his head toward the cave opening just in time to see Gladion stumble in, leaning against a Pokemon that looked very similar to Type: Null.

Gladion was shivering violently.

"Holy—" Hau jumped to his feet—inadvertently dumping Flareon onto the ground—and rushed over to Gladion just in time to catch him before he collapsed to his knees. "What happened to you?! Are you okay?!"

Gladion gritted his teeth and glared at Hau. "I'm—I'm fine. I just need to get warm."

"Well, then, you're definitely in the right place for it! Hey, Flareon, c'mere."

Flareon seemed a bit miffed, but nonetheless, he recognized the dire straits Gladion was in. He bounded across the cave floor and wound himself around Gladion's ankles like a Meowth would, trilling reassuringly, to spread the warmth.

"Not like that," Hau chuckled. "He won't be able to walk."

With the help of the Pokemon that looked like, but _couldn't_ be, Type: Null, Hau helped Gladion over to the small campfire. Gladion sank to the floor as Flareon shot a Flamethrower from its mouth to renew the fire. Hau settled down next to Gladion, and the strange Pokemon sat back on its haunches.

Hau regarded the odd Pokemon. It really did look like Null, but its coloration was brighter, not the dingy grey it had been. The fur on its head was white, and its face was fully visible—the odd helmet that Null had worn was gone.

Noticing Hau's stares, Gladion said simply, "Silvally."

"Huh?"

"It evolved from Null once I managed to remove that limiter helmet. I'm calling it Silvally."

Hau pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, making himself as small as he could to conserve his heat. "You're not gonna call it Type: Full?"

Gladion scowled.

Right. "Gotcha."

Flareon settled down on Hau's feet. Gladion raised an eyebrow. "Sandals, still?"

Hau _harumphed_ as best he could. "I wasn't expecting it to be like _this_. I've never seen cold like this before!" He eyed Gladion—same leather getup as always. "What's your excuse?"

Gladion's cheeks, already red from the cold, grew a deeper red. "…I wasn't expecting it either."

Gladion, admitting he hadn't been expecting something? Hau grinned despite the cold.

 

The blizzard outside showed no signs of dying out, even hours later as the sky darkened. Flareon renewed the fire, and Hau pulled out his sleeping bag. It wasn't designed to keep a body warm in cold like this, but it would be better than nothing.

Gladion retrieved a blanket from his traveling bag and curled up with Silvally. "It would be best to conserve our energy," he acknowledged.

"Really? It's freezing and you're gonna lay halfway across the cave?" Hau demanded.

"What's the alternative? Sleep next to _you_?"

Hau shrugged. "What, worried my happy-go-lucky's gonna rub off on you?"

Gladion scoffed. "Whatever."

They settled for sleeping on opposite sides of the fire. Flareon curled up on Hau's chest and Gladion turned away from Hau, almost _purposefully_.

Hau couldn't help smiling. Gladion wasn't as huge of a jerk as he'd seemed at first, but some things took a while to change, he supposed.

"Don't freeze over there," Hau called.

Hau's eyes were already closed, and he was almost asleep, when he heard Gladion's mumbled reply: "You either."

Tomorrow Hau would finish climbing Mount Lanakila and face the challenge that waited for him at the top. Even if they parted ways after this blizzard, Hau knew this wouldn't be the last time their paths crossed.

And maybe next time Gladion would be a bit less frosty.

 


End file.
